


Strawberry Cream Beans

by toastkat



Category: Devil May Cry
Genre: Alternate Universe, Birth Control, Boys Kissing, Cat Person AU, Cat/Human Hybrids, Domestic, Domestic Fluff, Explicit Sexual Content, Incest, Intersex, Intersex!Vergil, Intesex character, Kissing, M/M, Mpreg, Multiple Orgasms, Oral Sex, Orgasm, Pregnancy, Sibling Incest, Vaginal Sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-23
Updated: 2019-10-13
Packaged: 2019-11-04 11:45:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,521
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17897813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/toastkat/pseuds/toastkat
Summary: Cat-people Dante and Vergil have been mates for years, but their lives change forever with one decision -- Vergil wants kittens.





	1. Chapter 1

The world had changed. Dante wasn’t exactly sure  _ how _ it had changed, but he could feel it as he woke up that morning. It was something in the air, he decided as he stretched his whole body where he lay in bed. Like how you could smell that it was going to rain even before looking at the forecast, or how there was a certain energy that came with knowing you were going to be traveling all day. His body tightened and curled, his arms encircling his mate and his long cat-like legs tangling with the other male’s. He buried his face in Vergil’s hair, nuzzled the softness of his feline ear. It flicked in annoyance against his nose, and Vergil’s long, shaggy tail thumped against the bed between them. Dante smirked to himself, watching Vergil’s claws come out briefly as he balled his hands up and relaxed. 

Despite the unwanted attention first thing in the morning, Vergil purred softly. Just as Vergil was quick to annoy, he was equally quick to forgive. He grumbled lowly and rolled over in Dante’s arms, deeper into his twin’s embrace. The blankets were so warm from their bodies, and the air was just cool enough in their room that all Dante wanted in that moment was to stay in bed, to hold his mate, and just relish in the general feeling of  _ cozy _ . But that wonderfully peaceful calm and quiet of the morning was broken by the shrill alarm of the clock on Dante’s side of the bed. 

He rolled onto his back to stretch and reach for the alarm, smacking it silent with the pad of his hand. As Dante laid on his back, Vergil snuggled up against his side with his head in the knook of Dante’s shoulder and arm. It made him self-conscious, with how close Vergil was to his armpit. Did he stink? He hadn’t showered yet...Between the tufts of hair under his arms and the thick fur in the center of his chest, Dante knew he had to smell. His mate didn’t seem to mind, though, as Vergil’s hand rested on Dante’s chest. His light fingertips wove through Dante’s hairy chest, stroked down to the thinning line down his abs to the trail teasing down his belly and groin. With light fingers, Dante lifted Vergil’s hand to caress the soft, pink pads on his palm with Dante’s thumb. Unlike Vergil’s pads, Dante’s weren’t as soft. His were calloused and rather hard from his work. But Vergil took good care of his nails and his pads, massaging them with coconut oil almost every day. Dante brought Vergil’s palm to his lips to kiss that soft pad.

Vergil silently snatched his hand away, tucking it between their bodies. His tail flopped more. Dante chuckled lowly to himself, rubbing his mate’s bicep gently. 

“We need to get up,” Vergil grumbled. 

“Do we? I mean, I could always call in sick. Spend the day here in bed, with you.”

“Yes, well I’m sure Arkham would appreciate it more if I were at least dressed to meet him this afternoon.”

Dante scowled at the mention of the other man. “What does  _ he _ want?”

“He is my agent, and I have a deadline. He wants my latest manuscript.” 

Vergil tore the blankets off of them, and Dante winced at the sudden cold against his legs. He watched his mate get out of bed, admiring the way Vergil’s yukata hung loosely around his body. His long, fluffy feline tail always lifted the back end of it to expose his furry legs and naked ass to Dante’s eyes. It always made getting up in the morning worth it. He winced again as Vergil parted the curtains with a yank, flooding the room with morning light. 

His twin smirked and sat beside Dante on the bed, leaning over him to kiss his lips lightly. As Vergil pulled away, he kissed Dante’s forehead. “If you’re a good boy and take your shower, I’ll cook breakfast.”

Dante purred as he laid back and admired the view. “What if I’m a naughty boy?” He asked, wrapping his fingers around the belt to Vergil’s yukata.

Vergil scoffed. “Then you go to work hungry.”

He started to walk away, but Dante didn’t let go of the belt of Vergil’s yukata. It untied itself from its neat bow. Vergil stopped after two steps, his yukata falling open. He blushed under Dante’s gaze as his mate looked him over. His eyes stopped below Vergil’s waist at Vergil’s groin, his genitals hidden by snow white fur. Dante didn’t resist him as Vergil snatched the belt of his yukata back and tied his robe tightly closed once more. 

“I’m in no mood for your silly games this morning,” he grumbled. 

“That anxious about your manuscript, huh?”

Vergil didn’t answer, his eyes turning away. Dante’s brows furrowed. Something else was bothering his mate.

He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and got up; he snuck up behind Vergil and circled his arms around his twin’s shoulders. Vergil sighed, bringing his hands up to rest on Dante’s arms. 

“What’s the matter?” Dante asked quietly. 

His twin didn’t answer immediately. Instead, Vergil shook his head and shrugged out of his brother’s hold. “Take your shower and get dressed,” Vergil told him lowly. “We’ll talk about it over breakfast.”

Dante could only nod, his brother leaving him little opportunity to do anything else as Vergil slipped away to go downstairs. Left alone, Dante worried and wondered about his twin. His mate. What could be bothering Vergil so badly? It was something he chewed on as he headed for the bathroom for his morning shit. He scrolled through Facebook, through Twitter, through the morning news as he sat on the toilet, but not a word of what he read registered on his brain. Dante huffed and ran a hand through his hair. Maybe that’s what he’d felt that morning, when he woke up. Something was bothering Vergil. 

“I’m not even clocked in, and I’m already solving mysteries,” Dante grumbled as he tossed his boxers into the dirty clothes hamper. 

He showered quickly, and as he opened the medicine cabinet to grab his deodorant, a packet of Vergil’s medicine fell out. Dante’s brows furrowed as he picked it up and shook it next to his ear. It rattled with untaken medication. He slid the pack out of its sleeve to confirm his suspicions.

Vergil hadn’t been taking his birth control.

Almost a full month was in his hand, untouched. The date for the next refill was a month ago.  _ So Vergil’s skipped two months of his medication. _ It’d take another two months for it to be effective again. But why? Dante put it back where he’d found it, put on his deodorant, and closed the medicine cabinet. As he got dressed, he wondered how he’d broach the topic with Vergil. His mate had been very particular about his birth control; he’d always taken it religiously in the past. So why stop now?

Dante descended the stairs and was greeted by the smell of freshly brewed coffee and Vergil’s cooking. A plate of rice sat waiting, garnished with roasted veggies and bacon, as Vergil kept a close eye on the omelette frying in the pan. Dante smiled to himself as he poured a cup of coffee and watched his brother cook. Vergil slid a pair of chopsticks under part of the omelette to get it started, rolling the cooked sides down a little, then tapped on his wrist once, twice, three times to get the omelette to flip just right. The bundle of egg slid on top of the rice, and without a word, Vergil nudged the plate closer to Dante.

“Omurice,” Dante said as he picked up the plate and carried it around to the bar counter. He watched as his brother prepared the pan for a second omelette. “It’s not every day that you make this. What’s the special occasion?”

Vergil drew a deep breath and sighed it out slowly, mulling over his words. Dante smiled into his coffee cup. It was one of the things he loved most about his mate. When others would just reply without trying to understand, Vergil took his time. He chose his words carefully, as one would choose flowers for an arrangement. Dante didn’t push his brother to answer faster, to answer immediately. When Vergil was ready, when all of his thoughts and words were in their proper order, he would answer.

And even then, when he had all the time in the world to consider, Vergil still sounded lost when he spoke. “Dante, I...We’ve...How long…”

His eyes fell to his coffee cup in hand. “I found your birth control, Verge.” Dante lifted his gaze to meet Vergil’s, seeing the surprise, fear, and hurt in his mirror’s big blue eyes. He smiled a bit. “I didn’t mean to. It fell out of the cabinet when I grabbed my deodorant. But I noticed that you haven’t been taking any for a while now.”

“Yes, I…” Vergil stood a little straighter, his movements more rigid as he tapped his omelette onto his own plate. Even the cooked eggs were a little stiff as he drew the knife along to open it like a flower. He turned off the stove and joined his twin at the bar, sitting beside him. Despite the meal offered, Vergil merely poked at the food with his fork. “I should have talked with you about this sooner, but I wasn’t sure how. I’ve been...lonely. Your work keeps you away all day, and when you come home at night, you’re always exhausted and barely have any time or energy. On your off days, it feels like we never have enough time together.”

Dante leaned to the side, bumping Vergil’s arm with his own. He rested his head on Vergil’s shoulder. “I know. I’m sorry. I can ask for a demotion. Get a desk job again. It’ll be less hours, less pay…”

“I’m not going to ask that of you. But what I did want to ask…” Vergil shook his head. “It’s so selfish.”

“It’s not selfish.”

“It is! You’re barely home for me! How can I ask you to help me bring a child into this world and expect you to be a better father than ours, when you’re hardly ever home?”

He lifted his head from Vergil’s shoulder and turned in his stool to face his twin. Dante turned Vergil’s seat so that Vergil was facing him in return, though he stubbornly refused to  _ look _ at Dante. Smiling to himself, Dante cupped his mate’s cheeks in his hands, bringing Vergil’s face close to his own. He kissed Vergil’s forehead before pressing his own against that spot. They were so close, Vergil had nowhere else to look but into his brother’s blue, cat-slit eyes.

“Vergil, I love you,” Dante whispered softly. He felt Vergil’s ears flick, though if it was in embarrassment or annoyance, Dante could only guess. “You know that, right? I love you, and I would give you anything you wanted. You want a new car? Pick the year and model. You want a new house? Shit, so do I. You want a job at the library? I know a gal who can get you in.” His thumbs stroked the softness of Vergil’s cheeks. Dante was a little jealous of his twin. He had to constantly trim and shave his facial hair, whereas Vergil hardly grew any at all. Dante was all roughness and calloused; Vergil was always soft, sleek, and smooth. “If you want kittens, if you  _ really _ want kittens, then I’m willing to try.”

Vergil closed his eyes and nodded. His hands rested on Dante’s forearms, holding him near. “My...my doctor says it will be difficult,” Vergil replied just as quietly, as if they were sharing secrets. “Because I’m...because of the way my body is...She’s been giving me therapy, and helping me be more fertile. And because we’re siblings, I might not...it might not take. There might be complications and false positives and the possibility of...of…”

Dante nodded, carding his fingers through Vergil’s hair and petting back his ears. “I know, my love. I know that there will be risks.” He chuffed quietly, pulling Vergil into a hug and petting his back. “Perhaps now’s a bad time to tell you that I’ve been doing my own research. Looking up this stuff. Thinking about it too. I want kittens too, Verge. I want kittens with you.”

“Thank you…” Vergil pulled out of Dante’s grasp and turned away, wiping his face on his sleeve. When he faced his plate again, Vergil’s nose and cheeks were a bright pink. “Now that the matter is settled, I feel like I can finally eat.”

His younger twin chuckled lowly. “I’m glad we talked about it first. It’d be a little awkward to come home to you being in heat out of the blue. Say, since you’ve been off of your birth control for a while, when should I expect it?”

Vergil blushed, shifting slightly where he sat. “My doctor says any day now. Between being off my birth control and adjusting my diet, I should be fertile by now. If I haven’t gone into heat by the end of the month, I am to let her know and she will provide a new medication to adjust my hormone levels.”

“I don’t think it’ll be necessary,” Dante mumbled to a fork full of egg and rice. Maybe  _ that _ was what he had felt this morning, he wondered. He dismissed the thought. “Just promise me that you’ll be dressed when Arkham gets here, and that he’s here and gone as fast as possible.”

“I don’t like that you think I’d allow that horrible man to touch me, even if I  _ was  _ madly aroused,” Vergil snapped, his tail flicking in annoyance. “I dislike him as much as you do. However, he brings results.” He sighed and shook his head. “You may be well assured that I will be fully dressed when he arrives, and he will only be here long enough to receive my manuscript. I do have other meetings with other clients as well, but luckily those will be via Skype and not in person.”

“Good. The last thing I want is you all hot and flustered in a meeting with a marketing department, trying to pitch your logo designs while also horny.”

Vergil chuffed at the thought. “I don’t know. Something tells me you’d rather enjoy the thought of be in front of a Powerpoint presentation, blushing and squirming under your gaze.”

“Mmm...And then getting to bend you over that nice long table...Don’t suppose I can get you in a pencil skirt and sheer thigh-high stockings, can I?”

Despite his hand on Dante’s face, pushing him away, Vergil was smiling just a little bit. “Go to work. You’re going to be late.”

Dante got up from his seat and headed for the door. He slung on his red duster with a flourish and opened his arms to Vergil. When Vergil kept out of reach, his arms crossed over his chest, Dante pouted. 

“Aw, no kiss?”

“I’m not convinced you deserve one.”

While his lips said one thing, Vergil’s body said another. He closed the distance between them, standing near enough to Dante that he could smell Vergil’s natural scent, spiced with his approaching heat. Dante purred as his mate ran his hands over Dante’s shoulders and chest. He pulled Dante up close and against Vergil’s body by two fistfulls of his shirt. Dante’s arms fell naturally around Vergil’s waist; his fingers laced together to clasp his hands at the small of Vergil’s back, where spine met tail. 

“Are you sure I can’t just call in sick?” Dante asked with a grin. “Stay home, spend all day fucking you silly.”

“I’d rather the house  _ not _ smell like sex fumes when my agent arrives,” Vergil replied coldly. “And besides. You’ll want to save your sick days for paternity leave.” He pressed himself flush against Dante’s body, fitting so neatly against him as if they were made for each other. Vergil purred lowly as Dante’s fingers rubbed gentle circles just above Vergil’s tail. “Go to work. And when you come home, then we will return to our conversation of kittens.”

“Specifically, making them.”

“Of course.”

“But I might not be in the mood then.”

Vergil smirked, straightening Dante’s tie. “Would you be willing to bet on that?”

“You’re going to be all warmed up for me when I get home?”

“Perhaps.”

“Should I bring home dinner?”

“No, my love. But you’re welcome to bring some wine.”

“White or red?”

Vergil hummed in thought, smoothing out a wrinkle from Dante’s blouse. “Red would be fine.”

“Red wine and sushi then.”

“I said not to bring home dinner.”

“Red wine, sushi, and the biggest box of chocolates I can find.”

“Dante, it’s not Valentine’s Day.”

“Red wine, sushi, chocolates, and a dozen roses.”

“Now you’re just being ridiculous.”

“Well maybe if you kissed me already, I’d shut up and leave.”

Vergil rolled his eyes, grabbing Dante by his shirt and pulling him into a forceful kiss. It wasn’t the gentle peck on the cheek or light touching of lips to lips that Vergil had given him on other days, just before Dante left for work. Dante submitted to his twin, letting Vergil push his tongue past Dante’s lips. Dante sighed heavily through his nose, feeling the soft pads of Vergil’s palm and fingers on his cheeks. His own hands unwound to grasp Vergil by his hips, his thumbs stroking the soft cotton of Vergil’s yukata on his waist. He didn’t have to be told that Vergil’s heat was coming. Dante could taste it on his lips, on his tongue; he could smell it on Vergil’s skin and in his hair; he could feel it in the way Vergil kept pressing his body against Dante’s, as if he could fuse them together into one complete being if he pushed hard enough. 

Both of them were gasping for breath by the time Vergil pulled his lips away from Dante’s, though he still clung tightly to his twin’s body. He didn’t resist Dante at all as the larger of the two males guided him to the nearby wall. A moan escaped Vergil’s lips as Dante pressed him against the wall and kissed down the length of his neck. Dante wedged a knee between Vergil’s legs; his hand slid from Vergil’s waist, between the folds of his yukata, and into the soft forest of fur between Vergil’s thighs. Vergil’s voice rose as Dante’s fingers stroked him lovingly.

“You’re wet,” Dante purred in Vergil’s ear.

He grunted as Vergil’s hand came between them to cup Dante’s groin. “And you’re hard.”

“Yeah? And you’re gunna let me go to work with a stiffy?”

“Do you have time for one?”

“I’ve got time for more than just one, babe.”

“I’m not sure I’m okay with the idea of you going to work, smelling of fresh sex. A predator might come after you.” And yet Vergil’s hands were already fumbling to unbuckle Dante’s belt and unzip his pants.

“I keep telling you, I could always call in sick.”

“I can only imagine how  _ that _ phone call would go. ‘Yes, sergeant, I’m sorry but I can’t come to work today. My mate’s in heat and, well, you know how it is. Gotta stay home and fuck all day.’  _ Really _ , Dante…”

“It’s not gunna matter here in a few minutes. Are you  _ still _ having trouble with my fly?”

“Hush, the zipper’s stuck…”

Dante chuckled under his breath, kissing Vergil again as his twin finally got his pants unzipped. He moaned in his throat as he felt himself fall into Vergil’s waiting hands. The soft pads of his paws were like silk against his sensitive flesh, and he could  _ smell _ how wet Vergil was by now. 

Suddenly, Dante flinched as his pocket began to vibrate and play music. He cussed under his breath and pulled himself away from Vergil. Dante answered the call and held the phone to his ear with his shoulder as he tucked himself back into his pants. 

“This is Redgrave...Not yet, no. I was just about to head out.” He swatted Vergil’s hands away from his pants, zipping himself back up. “No, I haven’t seen the news yet. It’s been kind of a crazy morn...Yeah, I’ve got my sidearm, and my sword.” The seriousness in Dante’s voice was all it took for Vergil to back off further from his mate. The window of opportunity had closed. As his boss rattled off an address, Dante cupped Vergil’s cheek with a hand. His mate closed his eyes as Dante stroked his face with a light thumb. “Yeah, I’ll meet you there. Coffee’s on me, yeah? Black, two sugar, no creamer. See you there, chief.” 

Dante closed his phone with a snap and pocketed it. His other hand free, he was able to hold Vergil’s face with both hands now. Vergil sighed and closed his eyes as his mate pulled him near enough to kiss again. 

“Duty calls,” Dante murmured softly.

Vergil kissed his lips lightly; it was a brief, chaste kiss. “Go, my love,” he whispered against Dante’s lips. He kissed those lips one more time before gently pushing Dante away, toward the door. Vergil stepped back and crossed his arms over his chest, hugging himself. Though he smiled, Dante could see the sadness in his eyes. “Go and save the world.”

The younger twin hefted the massive sword from its stand by the door, holding it over his shoulder. 

“Wait for me,” Dante told his mate. “I’ll be home safe.”

“You fucking better be,” Vergil snarled in return. He held himself a little tighter. “Dante please...please come home safe…”

“I will. I love you.”

Vergil drew in a deep breath and nodded. “I...I love you too.”


	2. Chapter 2

Vergil's hands were steady as he sliced slivers of meat from the block of salmon. He held his breath as he sliced, only allowing himself to exhale as he plated the sashimi and inhale as he lined up for another slice. A fresh batch of rice was heating up in the rice cooker, a small bowl of thin cucumber ribbons cooled in the fridge, and he had edamame steaming on the stove top. It would be a simple, light meal. Steak had been tempting, but having such a heavy meal sitting in the stomach would have made the idea of sex less appealing. He had considered getting oysters, but knowing Dante and his stamina, Vergil felt it was hardly necessary. No, sushi was simple, romantic, and Dante had put him in the mood for it with his off-hand comments that morning.

Preparing the sashimi forced him to focus and relax. If he wanted each slice to be precise, uniform,  _ perfect _ , then he couldn’t allow his mind to wander. He couldn’t allow his body to control him. There was no room for anxiety or nervousness; there was no margin of error that allowed for him to shake or bounce. Inhale, slice, exhale. Inhale, slice, exhale. Vergil stood up straight and rolled his shoulders and neck, feeling his body pop in places that were a little stiff from stress and leaning over the counter.

As promised, Vergil had gotten dressed before Arkham arrived. He’d had his morning shower and put on something semi-formal for his meeting with his literary agent and the meetings to come with his clients; a sleek pair of dress pants and a nice light blue button-down shirt. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, and his reading glasses sat on the bridge of his nose. He didn’t  _ need _ them for slicing sashimi, but they helped enough that he hadn’t bothered to take them off. 

He heard the automatic garage door opening, the sudden rumble of it like thunder against the ambient music he had playing while he prepared dinner. Vergil smiled to himself as he took a breath, sliced slowly and carefully, then exhaled as he plated the last two slices. The carving board and knife went into the sink to be washed later, and he took the edamame off the stove and turned off the flame just as Dante came in through the garage door. 

His mate stopped in the entryway, removing his sword and guns to hang on the rack. He hung his red leather duster next, and he stepped out of his shoes into house slippers before finally coming in to the house. Dante slid into the kitchen and joined Vergil’s side. He set the bottle of wine on the counter to free his hands, his arm coming around Vergil’s waist to pull him against Dante’s body. 

Vergil felt himself melt into his mate as they kissed. All of his fears and worries, his stress and nervousness, fluttered away at one touch of Dante’s lips to his own. He purred as Dante’s rough hand cupped his cheek and stroked his skin with the pad of his thumb. Dante couldn’t just kiss simply; a single peck on the cheek or lips or forehead was never enough. Dante was a full-body kisser. He always wrapped Vergil in the safe strength of his arms, shielding him with his broad body from the eyes of the universe. Even if it was a brief kiss, Dante’s body always lingered near. Always ready, always hungry, always  _ needing _ more. 

Dante was smiling as he finally pulled his lips away, separating his body from Vergil’s and yet not letting go immediately. His hand remained on the small of Vergil’s back, ready to pull him in again. It was their ritual, every day from the moment Dante started his horrible job and for years to come. As Vergil expected, his mate pulled him close for one more kiss on Vergil’s cheek before he finally let go completely.

“How was work?” Vergil asked, breaking the quiet as Dante opened the cabinets for a pair of wine glasses.

“Awful,” replied Dante, setting the glasses out. He leaned on the counter as Vergil uncorked the wine. “You remember that call this morning? Well, it turned out to have been an attack. Pretty bad one too. Tracking down the demon was the easy part. It was dealing with the political backlash the rest of the day that sucked.”

“Let me guess, the humans were screaming for blood?”

Dante nodded, accepting the offered cork. Rather than smelling it, Dante set it in a jar with others that Vergil was saving. As the wine breathed, Vergil set the table. 

“Yeah,” Dante continued. “A couple of politicians caught wind of what happened and are using it to push more restrictions on non-humans. Licensing, registrations, shit like that. It’s gotten to be a mess, with the department caught in the middle.”

Vergil said nothing as he came back to the kitchen to pour the wine. After pouring both glasses, Dante took the bottle from him to set aside and took hold of Vergil’s hands. He touched his forehead to Vergil’s and nuzzled his face. 

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Dante asked. “Bring a life into this world? I can’t promise they’ll have a good future. Not with the way things are right now.”

“You care more than our father did,” Vergil muttered darkly. He shook his head and gave Dante a small smile. “That alone tells me that our child...our children will have fantastic futures ahead of them. We will give them everything our father didn’t and wouldn’t. We’ll give them love, and a home. We will pave the road ahead of them with our own bare hands if we must. But I believe our children will be just fine.”

His twin sighed softly and managed a small smile of his own. “You have an awful lot of faith in the world.”

“I have faith in us, my love.”

“The rest of the world can burn for all you care?”

Vergil shrugged. “You know I have a particular dislike for humans.”

“Our mother was a human, you know.”

“Yes, and it’s a shame she was killed by other humans.”

Dante sighed and kissed Vergil’s forehead. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything. Now you’re irritated at me.”

“For the moment yes. But after dinner…” He purred and gave Dante’s lips a light kiss, biting his plush lower lip gently. Dante rose his eyebrows at Vergil, who smirked. “I might forgive you.”

“Then let’s eat. I’m starved.”

“For food?”

“For you.”

Vergil rolled his eyes and blushed. “ _ Really _ Dante…”

“I know, I know. I’m a beast.”

“You are.” Vergil ran his hands up Dante’s chest to cup his throat, his fingers tangling in Dante’s long hair. “And that’s why I love you.” 

He purred as he kissed his mate once more, moaning in the back of his throat as that kiss became a dance of tongues in the warmth of their mouths. Dante pushed him back against the counter and lifted him up to sit on the countertop as they kissed. Their hands roamed over one another, and Vergil squirmed a bit where he sat. Each touch, each kiss was torment for Vergil. Dante’s hands and lips were like fire against him, leaving behind trails of warmth wherever they went. Even though he was fully clothed, Vergil felt naked and exposed, and he felt his body hunger for his mate.

“Dante, dinner…” Vergil gasped as his twin kissed down his neck to nibble on the soft flesh of his shoulder.

“I’d rather have you.”

“I spent good money on that sushi…”

“It can wait.”

Vergil pressed a hand against Dante’s mouth, pushing him away to glare at. “And so can you.”

Dante whined and pouted.

His elder sighed. “Fine. At least let me put everything away.”

“I’ll meet you upstairs with the wine.”

They exchanged a brief kiss before Dante peeled himself away from Vergil’s body, letting his brother go. Vergil needed a moment to catch his breath, not trusting his ability to stand steadily quite yet. He watched Dante grab the bottle and glasses, taking them upstairs to their room. The elder twin sighed to himself, closing his eyes for a moment. While he was eager for kittens himself, he hadn’t expected Dante to be so enthusiastic. Then again, how long had it been since they’d last had sex? Vergil’s eyes opened and went to a nearby calendar hanging off the fridge. Too long, he decided. It had been too long since Dante and Vergil had had time for each other, had a chance to let themselves be swept away in passion without a second thought for the morning after. Their newlywed phase had ended years ago. Now they were in a rut of routine that had been broken by Vergil’s desire for kittens.

Vergil hopped off of the counter and put away the food; sushi, cucumber, and edamame went into the fridge, and the bowl of rice was scooped back into the rice cooker to be set on “KEEP WARM”. He made sure the doors were locked, and turned out the lights as he went up the stairs. With every step closer to their bedroom door, Vergil felt his heart flutter and his groin tingle. He was getting nervous, he knew. But why? They had made love before with reckless abandon. Why was tonight any different than those nights?

He hesitated in the doorway of their bedroom, his gaze falling on Dante. His mate. His brother. Vergil’s heart skipped a beat at the sight of him. 

In the time it took for Vergil to come upstairs, Dante had gotten undressed and was waiting for him on the bed. He sat up against the stacked pillows, his long legs stretched out and crossing at the ankles. Dante’s eyes raked over Vergil as he sipped from his glass of wine. Vergil’s glass waited for him on his nightstand on his side of the bed. As Dante admired his view, so did Vergil, his eyes stopping on Dante’s groin. Despite the alcohol, Dante was erect and pulsing, ready to go.

Vergil could feel his mate’s eyes on him, undressing him with his mind. So he gave his brother what he wanted. Vergil undressed his lower half first, removing his pants and underwear to toss them in the nearby clothes bin. He forced himself to breathe slowly and steadily, his heart pounding in his chest, as he unbuttoned his shirt and slid it off his shoulders. Dante’s lips parted in a soft sigh of appreciation as Vergil let his shirt slip down his arms and onto the floor. Vergil removed his reading glasses and placed them on a shelf beside the door. Dante set aside his glass of wine as Vergil stepped up to the end of the bed and climbed on. The elder twin moved on hands and knees, crawling up the bed along Dante’s body.

The met in a passionate kiss. Vergil moaned in his throat, purring as he felt Dante’s hands caressing the length of his back. His own came to rest on Dante’s chest, his fingers tangling in the fur on his pectorals as Vergil straddled Dante’s hips. He could taste the wine on Dante’s lips and tongue. The intoxicating smell of Dante’s arousal mixed with the flavor of alcohol in his mouth made Vergil dizzy. His head swam in a dense fog of growing pleasure to the point that he didn’t notice that one of Dante’s hands had moved from his back until he felt gentle fingers rub between his thighs.

Vergil broke their kiss to sigh in want, his back arching to thrust his hips into Dante’s hand more. Dante’s lips kissed his neck. His palm rubbed against Vergil’s length as knowing fingers stroked the length of Vergil’s gate. He could feel how moist his folds were on Dante’s fingers. A mewl escaped his lips as Dante gave his neck a gentle nibble.

“You’re so beautiful,” Dante whispered against Vergil’s skin. “Do you know that? How beautiful you are?”

“You’re biased,” Vergil mumbled.

“I mean it, Verge. I love how beautiful you are. The way your fur blends into your skin. The way your eyes sparkle in the candlelight.” Dante shifted his weight and rolled, changing their positions. He sandwiched Vergil between him and the plush mattress of the bed, their bodies pressed tight to one another. “The way your body fits just right against mine. I love it so much. I love  _ you _ so much…”

“Poetry  _ won’t _ get me pregnant, Dante,” Vergil grumbled. He could feel himself blushing so intensely that even the skin of his shoulders felt warm.

His twin chuckled lowly. “You’re not wrong. But poetry does get you warmed up.”

“Are you so certain?”

Vergil made a sound that was gasp and moan in the same high-pitched breath as Dante’s hand grasped him by his sensitive length and stroked. The rough pad of Dante’s thumb drew circles on the crown of Vergil’s erection, his pad becoming moist from the bead of pre that had formed there. 

“Fairly certain actually.”

Dante grinned and kissed Vergil’s forehead, but it did nothing to stop Vergil’s pout. The elder twin carded his fingers through Dante’s hair as he kissed his way down Vergil’s body. He closed his eyes and moaned as Dante nuzzled the forest of fur between Vergil’s thighs. His lips and tongue teased the length of Vergil’s erection, then came down to get lost in the fur once more. He peeked through his eyelashes and saw Dante’s brows furrowed.

“Something the matter, my love?”

“Yeah, your fucking fur is too thick,” Dante grumbled. Vergil squirmed as he felt Dante’s hands in his fur. “I had your hole a moment ago…Stop squirming, you’re not helping.”

“Then don’t use your mouth!”

Dante rolled his eyes. “But I  _ want _ to use my mouth.” He grinned. “When was the last time I ate you out?”

“Brother, I’m wet enough already. I don’t need to be dripping.”

“That’s not why I want to eat you out. Ah! There we go.”

Vergil shivered at the feeling of cool air against his open folds. That feeling of coolness was quickly replaced by the warmth of Dante’s tongue as it lapped against the length of Vergil’s gate. The elder moaned and writhed beneath his mate, his hips held down by Dante’s strong hands as his barbed tongue tickled and teased Vergil’s wet opening. He pulled Vergil’s labia into his lips and suckled, looking up through Vergil’s fur to watch his mate  _ melt _ . Dante chuckled lowly and curled his arms around Vergil’s legs, holding him firmly in place. He buried his face in the damp fur of Vergil’s loins, his long tongue slipping into that wet channel to devour his lover.

“Dante... _ Dante… _ ” Vergil begged, clutching the sheets in his claws. “Wait...stop...I don’t...I don’t want to…”

That tempting mouth pulled away from Vergil’s groin. “Don’t want to what, Verge?”

Vergil gasped for breath, his chest heaving. “I don’t want to cum yet...It’s too soon…”

“Cum all you want, darling,” Dante told him. “We’ve got all night. And tomorrow night. And the night after that. As many nights as it takes. As many nights as you can handle.”

He didn’t stop his brother from going down again. All of Vergil’s strength and willpower washed away as Dante gave all of his attention to Vergil’s groin. His lips and tongue devoured the sweet nectar of Vergil’s folds and gate. His palm gentle stroked and squeezed the length of Vergil’s erection. And his other loving hand stroked the soft fur on the inside of Vergil’s thigh. There was nothing Vergil could do, save for cling to the bed for dear life. From all of the stimulations, Vergil felt as if he were lost in a fog in his mind, the only words coming to his lips was Dante’s name and a chant of,  _ “Oh god!” _ All of the sensations crashed down on Vergil at once, seizing the breath in his lungs and the muscles of his body as he came with a silent scream. 

Dante licked his lips as he sat up, running a hand through his hair to slick it back. For a brief moment, Vergil saw himself staring down at him in his orgasmic haze. But then Dante’s bangs fell over his forehead once more, and his sweet brother returned to him. Dante lifted his twin’s hips a bit and tucked a pillow under Vergil’s pelvis to give him a better angle. 

“Ready?” Dante asked, reaching to Vergil to brush a stray lock of hair from his brother’s forehead.

Vergil could only nod, his heart still racing in his chest and his body still tingling from his last orgasm.

His twin started slowly, rubbing his throbbing erection against Vergil’s entrance. Vergil closed his eyes and laid back, relaxing as Dante’s hands caressed up his sides and down his chest. He could  _ drown _ in Dante’s touch and die happily. But after several moments of  _ nothing _ , Vergil peeked open an eye once more. 

“Dante, don’t tell me…”

“It’s not funny, Vergil.”

He bit back a snort.

“Seriously, Verge. You have way too much fucking fur down here. Couldn’t you have shaved at least? Or trimmed? You  _ knew _ how bad I wanted to have sex with you tonight.”

“I thought you knew my body so well that you could find it blindfolded.”

“First off, I said that years ago so it doesn’t count anymore. And second, don’t make me get a razor. I’m willing to sacrifice my beard trimmer if it means you’ll be sheared enough to fuck.”

“Oh for heaven’s sake, Dante…” Vergil reached down and found himself easily. “There.” He blushed as he held his folds open. “If you miss it now, it’s  _ not _ my fault.”

Dante did  _ not _ miss. Vergil sighed as he felt the heat of Dante’s flesh rub against his open folds, and cried out in delight as Dante’s crown pushed in with ease. No longer needing Vergil’s hands to guide him, Dante took his mate’s wrists in his hands and held them against the bed over his head. Dante dipped his head to kiss Vergil’s lips, the elder twin meeting his mate’s kiss with equal vigor. His lips fell open to moan as Dante continued to slide in, filling Vergil further with each shaking inhale. They’d always used lube, always used condoms in the past. To do without this one time, Vergil felt as if he was truly going to melt from the burning heat that filled him. Dante’s fur tickled against his skin as his mate sheathed himself to the hilt in Vergil’s body. 

The younger twin licked up the length of Vergil’s neck, tasting and savoring the sweat that began to bead on his muscles. Vergil shuddered at the feel of his breath against his skin. 

“I love you, Vergil,” Dante huskily whispered. “I love you...I love you so much…”

“I know, my love. I know…”

“I’m only saying...because I don’t think I can be gentle today.” 

Vergil purred lowly. “What’s the matter, darling? Is the beast finally itching to come out?”

Dante nodded. Vergil could feel his whole body quivering with weakening self-control.

He pulled his hands free from Dante’s grasp to cup his lover’s face. Vergil sat up enough to kiss Dante’s lips in slow, tantalizing kisses. 

“I don’t expect you to be gentle with me, my love,” Vergil whispered against Dante’s lips. “Nor do I want you to. We are animals, my Dante. We are beasts that walk the line between monster and human. If I wanted the tenderness of a human lover, I would not have chosen you. Make love to me, Dante. Make love to me like the beast you are, the beast I know…” His thumbs caressed Dante’s lips. “The beast I love.”

They kissed again, their tongues swirling as Vergil gasped for breath through his nose. He felt Dante’s hands on him, his calloused pads caressing down his body to cup his round bottom. Those strong hands lifted him a little bit off the pillow as Dante pulled out until only his crown was inside. As Dante had promised, he was no longer gentle or tender with his mate. He thrust in to the hilt in a single gesture, filling Vergil completely and striking his core. Vergil cried out as that place within him was hit, sending a wave of ecstasy through every muscle and nerve in his body. His nails dug into Dante’s back, spurring his lover further. 

Dante’s own fingers dug into the soft, supple flesh of Vergil’s thighs as he built a pace for them that was relentless, giving Vergil no time to rest between thrusts. His moans and cries, raising in pitch and volume with every strike inside him, were the music to their animalistic mating. Vergil drowned in the smell of his mate; his sweat, his musk, even the smell of his cum as it filled him when Dante finally peaked. 

They laid together, gasping and twitching as Dante rode out his orgasm. Vergil whined softly, nuzzling his mate. He’d been so  _ close _ that time. If only Dante had held out for a few minutes more…

But Vergil knew his lover better than that. After a few moments of rest, Dante pushed himself to sit up over Vergil. His skin was flushed from exertion, and sweat matted his hair and fur against his skin. His eyes met Vergil’s, and the elder twin shivered at the _ hunger _ still in Dante’s gaze. Dante didn’t bother to pull out as he repositioned them. His hands were hot like fire against Vergil’s skin as he grasped his brother, pulling Vergil to sit up. Vergil’s arms circled his mate’s shoulders as they kissed again. He felt his brother’s palms against his back, stroking the flat planes of his skin as their bodies were held tight to one another. 

He was out of breath when Dante finally let go of his lips and body. Those lips, however, were not finished with tormenting Vergil. They latched onto his neck in feverent kisses against Vergil’s skin, sending tingles of pleasure with every nibble and lick. He could feel Dante’s kisses leaving marks, spots of red and pink skin for the world to see that Vergil belonged to his mate. 

Dante peeled his body away from Vergil’s and leaned back, leaving Vergil mounted on his hips. Those burning hands stroked Vergil’s thighs as they rocked together. Vergil’s head fell back as he rode his brother, his lips hanging open to let out his heated breaths. Each tilting of their hips sent Dante further inside him, striking that place in Vergil’s core that made his body tremble in delight. Even on top of him, Vergil was at his brother’s mercy. He lacked the strength to swat away the hand that gently grasped his erection and lovingly stroked him in tune with their movements. He couldn’t even think of a witty protest. Not even a word could come to his lips, so lost in the pleasure he was. Only a loving wail passed Vergil’s lips as he came again, the waves of pleasure overtaking all his other senses. 

His brother’s hands gripped his thighs tighter as he thrust in more violently until he came a second time. Out of breath and shaking, Dante pulled his brother down to lay on top of him. His head on Dante’s chest, Vergil could hear the pounding of his mate’s heartbeat and felt his strong chest rise and fall as he caught his breath. They were  _ filthy _ , their fur matted with sweat and cum. The sheets, he knew, would be as sticky and unpleasant. And yet neither of them moved to get up, to change the sheets, or to wash themselves. Vergil could feel Dante’s flaccid cock still inside him, feeling less pleasurable and more like something was in the way of being close to his mate.

The younger twin, however, didn’t seem to mind. He ran a hand through Vergil’s hair, tilting him enough to kiss slowly.

“Now, about that sushi…” Dante murmured.

Vergil chuffed and shook his head. “If you think I’m capable of going downstairs and bringing you dinner, you don’t deserve it.”

Dante grinned and kissed his forehead. “Stay in bed. I’ll bring it up.”

He rolled them gently, his body slipping easily out of Vergil’s tired hold. Dante didn’t even bother to put on a robe as he headed for the kitchen. Vergil sighed to himself, curling up with a hand on his belly. 

It was too soon to tell. But deep in his heart, he felt it under his palm.

Life.


	3. Chapter 3

Dante knew there was something wrong as soon as he walked in the door. He knew he was running late coming home from work, but music wasn’t playing. Vergil wasn’t cooking. The house was oddly dark and quiet, save for a pathetic sound in another room. Sniffling? Rustling? Dante couldn’t tell. Slowly he stepped out of his shoes and leaned his sword against the wall. He drew one of his pistols and crept toward the kitchen.

“Vergil?” Dante called out, his heart racing in his chest.

“Dante,” he heard his brother’s voice. It was weak and barely audible, but his feline ears perked at the sound of Vergil calling back to him. “Dante, I’m in here!”

He ran to the bathroom, expecting to see a bloody mess. The smell of vomit hit him first, before Dante even got to the door. Dante lowered his gun and knelt at Vergil’s side. His mate was sitting on the floor, Vergil’s cheeks were red and the skin around his eyes was puffy. The smell of vomit only got worse now that Dante was on the same level as the toilet. He only calmed down when Vergil hugged him so tightly that all Dante could do was hug back. They sat there for what felt like an eternity before Vergil loosened his grip.

“Verge?” Dante asked, pulling away to cup his mate’s face in his hands. “What’s the matter? You look like you’ve been crying. Are you sick? Do I need to take you to the hospital?”

“Maybe, yes, but not for why you think.” Vergil sniffled and grabbed the toilet paper roll from the dispenser. He tore some off and used it to blow his nose into. Dante could only watch as his mate blew his nose, threw the wad into the toilet, and then flushed it away. The elder twin sighed as he sat back down on the floor, leaning against the wall. His head turned to Dante, and he smiled weakly. His tail curled around their feet, warming his bare toes against the cold tile. “How long have we been trying, my love?”

A weird change of topic, but Dante played along. He looked up to the ceiling to think, noting that some cracks had formed in the grout. “About a month or two I guess.” Dante shrugged, then shook his head. “I haven’t been keeping a close eye on the calendar, hun.”

“I have,” Vergil said with a small, knowing smile. “We’ve been making love twice a week for the last twelve weeks. I had just finished my period when we began and…” He sighed, nuzzling Dante’s bicep. “I missed a period, Dante. I didn’t want to hope too much, for fear of jinxing it, but I felt… I felt so  _ awful _ today. I was tired, I was nauseated, I had a headache… and I had a feeling, deep in my heart. So I went to the pharmacy… and…”

Dante’s mind was still putting the pieces together as Vergil wiggled out of his hold. He knew what Vergil was grabbing for without having to follow his hand flopping around on the counter. His heart beat fast in his chest, and a tremor of excitement went over Dante as Vergil finally found it and sat back down beside him. 

The pregnancy test still smelled of urine, and Dante could imagine that it wasn’t the only one Vergil had taken. A glance in the direction of the trash can confirmed multiple boxes, multiple used tests. So why save this one?

“I only just took this one before you came home, Dante. I wanted you to see it for yourself, before it could be argued that it changed over time.”

Vergil turned the plastic stick in his hand, showing Dante the results.

Positive. 

“I’m going to have kittens,” Vergil said with a small smile, looking up into Dante’s eyes. His own were sparkling with budding tears.

“ _ Oh _ Verge!” Dante hugged his mate excitedly, Vergil laughing in his ear as the younger twin buried his face in Vergil’s shoulder. He sat up enough to push away some of Vergil’s bangs from his forehead and kiss his lips. He felt his mate melt into that kiss, purring loudly in his chest as lip touched lip, as tongue touched tongue, as hands roamed over chest and back. Dante pulled his lips away to kiss Vergil’s forehead. “I’ve got Saturday off,” he murmured lowly to his mate. “I can take you to the hospital then, and we can get you tested.”

“I need an appointment first, my love. I can’t just walk in and demand a pregnancy test out of the blue.”

“Sure you can! We can go to the ER, declare it an emergency that we need to know  _ now _ that you’re pregnant. I wave my badge around if things start to get nasty with the staff…”

Vergil rolled his eyes and shoved Dante away with a hand to his face. “Don’t be foolish. I can call in the morning and make an appointment during the week. I am still quite capable of driving myself.”

“But I wanna be there too!” Dante whined. He nuzzled Vergil’s cheek. “Tell me when your appointment is, and I can make time during my day. Or if it’s after five, I can go with you.”

“Assuming you don’t get caught up in work again.”

“Don’t remind me.”

Vergil chuckled to himself, carding his fingers through Dante’s hair. It was long and a mess, always sticky with sweat and demon blood, or dust from the station archives. His claws curled around Dante’s ears, scratching his scalp just behind his large pink and white ears. Dante purred loudly at the attention, his tail flicking contentedly beside him. 

“My Dante… My mate.”

Dante purred louder and nuzzled Vergil’s cheek and neck. 

“I hope you enjoyed our couplings, my love. Now that I’m pregnant, you won’t get another chance until after the kittens are born.”

“We can still do butt stuff.”

Again the elder twin chuffed in amusement.

“I guess we better start thinking long-term,” Dante said with a sigh, sitting up out of Vergil’s hold. “We can move your office into the living room or our room, and that can become the nursery.”

Vergil scowled at the idea and shook his head. “I don’t like the idea of the nursery being downstairs while we’re upstairs. Longer time to respond. No, we clear out the guest bedroom that we never use, and  _ that _ can become the nursery.”

“The kids will need another bedroom when they get older. Can you imagine four to six eleven-year-olds cramped up in one bedroom?” Dante shook his head. “Your office is going to get sacrificed eventually.”

“We’ll deal with that when they get older.”

“We could always look into getting a new place.”

“Again, Dante, we’ll build that bridge when we get to it.”

Dante hummed in thought. “How about a jungle theme, for the nursery?”

“Bold of you to assume we’re having all boys.”

“Hey, girls like jungles too!”

“Blue is more calming. An ocean theme.”

“With the walls painted baby blue, and sheer blue curtains. So that when the wind blows through the trees, the light and shadows ripple and make it look like they’re underwater.”

Vergil smiled at the thought. “Perhaps we should do that for our room.”

“But I  _ like _ my red wall and the mirror on the ceiling…”

“It’s time to grow up, Dante. You’re a father now. No more mirror on the ceiling, no more red wall, and certainly remove the stripper pole.”

“We  _ have _ to keep the stripper pole. How else are you going to lose your baby fat?”

“Yoga, for one. If it becomes so dire that I need further exercise, I’ll join a spin or jogging class. The stripper pole goes.”

Dante sighed in defeat. “Alright, alright…” His hand found its way onto Vergil’s belly, over that place where a bump would grow. “Is it too soon to talk about names, or do you want to wait until we know how many and what sexes they are?”

He purred, running his hand over Dante’s arm before letting it come to rest on Dante’s hand. His fingers curled between his mate’s. Vergil closed his eyes. “That depends. Are you going to contribute to the naming process?”

“Fuck no. You know I’m shit with names. If you had a litter of a dozen, I’d just name them Dante Junior One through Twelve and call it a day.”

His mate smiled to himself. Vergil’s eyes opened, looking into the distance. “I like Nero.”

“Alright, but at least  _ one _ of them is Dante Junior.”

“Fair enough, I suppose.”

Dante smiled as well, nuzzling the top of Vergil’s head and kissing between his ears. How many there were or whether or not they were boy or girl, Dante didn’t know. All he knew was that beneath his hand, he could feel the little heartbeats and the little lives growing.

His children.

His future.

He hadn’t even met them yet, and Dante knew he’d live and die for them.


	4. Chapter 4

Content Warning: This chapter details a visit to a gynecologist and the technical process of an ultrasound. If you as a reader are uncomfortable with or triggered by pregnancy-related topics, please skip this chapter.

 

 

The midwife they’d chosen was kind and old, and though she was a human, she was well respected in the hybrid community. For fifty years, she had welcomed human, neko, doggo, harpy, and all other species of animal and hybrid to the world. And she had no intention of stopping anytime soon. She had an office at the hospital, but she was rarely there. She preferred to think of her truck as her office, always ready to make house calls to mothers in need. But on occasions such as this, when there was no immediate emergency and the check-up was routine, she was in her office, washing her hands as she waited for her next patient to arrive.

Her nurse had already briefed her on today’s appointment. Vergil’s case was not an uncommon one. Pregnancy was stressful, even healthy ones. Expectant mothers would literally worry themselves sick, and she was unsurprised when she had received a call a week ago that Vergil was experiencing some stress-related symptoms. Spotting, shortness of breath, cramping… Though she had assured him nothing was wrong, he was still insistent on a visit. It was near enough time for an ultrasound that she agreed to an appointment, even if it meant repeating herself that all he needed was to rest and try to relax. 

She carried his charts with her into the examination room, knocking and waiting for them to acknowledge her before coming in. The midwife gave a warm smile to Vergil and his mate. Most human doctors would have refused the pair; incest was still taboo among human culture. But for hybrids, the behavior was more common than the average human would have liked. There were risks, of course, but she knew from their first visit that she didn’t have to lecture them on what they already knew. It was no surprise to her that Vergil was so stressed. Nekos were difficult children to birth, with all of the pros and cons of both humans and cats rolled into one litter.

One difference between humans and neko was development. Human children took nine months to grow before birth, whereas neko kittens only three months. They would be birthed impossibly small, but continue to grow as a normal kitten would. In weeks, they would be the same size and maturity as newborn human babies, and in months, they would be the size and developmental stage of a human one-year-old. There, the neko’s development would slow to a crawl to match that of the human’s. Neko and human children raised in the same household would age together and mature at the same rate, granted they were given the same opportunities. Not all humans viewed their hybrid cohabitants as worthy of sharing the rights and privileges of natural born humans. 

Her nurse had already taken his temperature, blood pressure, and oxygen count; everything was normal. Blood pressure was a touch high, but that was once again the effect of stress. She didn’t feel comfortable medicating him for it, and it wasn’t so high that he needed it. Under the nurse’s instructions, Vergil had changed into a patient’s gown and was sitting demurely on the table. She chit-chatted with him as she adjusted the table around him, transforming it into a chair and flipping up the stirrups. She could hear the nervousness and embarrassment in his voice. No one enjoyed having their feet up and their legs open, but despite all of the advances in technology, no one had invented a better way to get a good look at one’s vagina. As Vergil repositioned himself, the midwife scooted a chair beside him where Dante could sit and hold his mate’s hand.

She put on her gloves as she sat down between his open legs, meeting his vulva eye-to-eye. Every patient she had was embarrassed by it, and she didn’t blame them. Society had taught them that it was  _ dirty _ to have one’s bits so closely examined, even by a licensed doctor. In her years, she herself had gotten over it. Seen one vulva, really you’ve seen them all. Years of experience also taught her to keep that to herself. As reassuring as it was, no one liked to hear that all vulvas were the same. She quietly lubed up her fingers and let him know what she was doing before sliding her fingers in to feel around. 

Nothing felt wrong with his vagina, and his vulva looked in good health, though it was difficult to see through his thick fur. She pulled her fingers out gently, asking him politely to exercise his muscles as she did to assist. The midwife took off her gloves and threw them away, then scooted back to stand. Vergil seemed to sigh in relief as she patted his legs for him to lower them, folding back the stirrups. She quietly told him to sit up, and Dante helped him adjust to sit back on the chair more comfortably. As they did, she got out a blanket to cover his lower half, and asked him to pull up the gown to expose his belly. 

At four weeks into his pregnancy, Vergil’s belly was bulging. She ran her warm hands over his skin, gently feeling around. The kittens were too small to wiggle back, but she had surprised her patients on more than one occasion by giving an accurate count of how many to expect even before the ultrasound. The midwife smiled as she counted. 

“Four,” she said, giving his belly a gentle pat. 

“You think so?” Dante asked with a grin. He smiled at Vergil and gave his hand a squeeze. She saw him mouth the word “four” excitedly.

She wheeled the ultrasound machine closer and put on a new set of gloves to smooth out the cold gel on Vergil’s plump belly. He hissed at the cold, but didn’t struggle or move around, letting the professional work. The neko  _ did _ sit still, though, as the ultrasound machine whirred on and the midwife took off her gloves to pick up the wand.

With the practiced ease of someone who had done hundreds of ultrasounds before, the midwife glided the wand smoothly over Vergil’s belly from one side to the other, top to bottom. She heard Dante take in a gasp of breath at the first images, even though she was sure the man didn’t know what exactly he was looking at. But she did, and she stopped at the first little shape she found.

“Oh, Dante,” Vergil sighed, the tears cracking his voice.

“Here’s one,” the midwife said with a smile. She pointed with a finger at the shape on her screen. “You can see here the head and the body. And right here…” She pressed a finger to the screen. “Here’s it’s heartbeat.”

“Can you determine gender yet?” Dante asked.

The midwife shook her head. “Not yet, no. In a couple more weeks, I’ll be able to tell the genders of individual kittens, but as of right now, I can only give you heart rates, how many, and how healthy they are.”

“When’s the last ultrasound you can give before birth?” Vergil asked.

“Theoretically, I can give an ultrasound immediately before they’re born. The process won’t hurt them, or you. Reasonably, we can schedule another ultrasound in four more weeks, barring any abnormalities that would cause an earlier ultrasound to be necessary. Now, let’s see…” She moved the wand until another little lump came into view. “There’s another one.”

“Is it normal for them to be that small?”

“Perfectly normal. And here we have a third kitten.”

She could feel Dante vibrating with excitement, and Vergil laughed lightly at his mate. He brought Dante’s hands to his lips, kissing his knuckles. 

“Here’s kitten number four.”

The midwife continued to move the wand around, even though she already knew she’d found them all. When nothing else appeared on the screen, she took the wand off and began to clean it.

“Four healthy, developing kittens.”

Vergil sighed softly, smiling to himself. His smile seemed to fade at a thought. “Did you see any reason that I was spotting or cramping?”

She shrugged and shook her head in the same gesture, hanging the wand on its hook and taking off her gloves. “Spotting and cramping are common symptoms of being pregnant. Your kittens are healthy, developing where they should be, and at the rate they should be. I imagine that you’re also suffering from some bloating, fatigue, constipation, congestion, and other discomforts.” 

Vergil looked away guiltily. The midwife patted his knee gently. 

“Every first time mother goes through the same thing. You want what’s best for your kittens. So you look up your symptoms online, and find that some mothers went through the same thing, and others didn’t. You begin to worry that something’s  _ wrong _ , then you do more research. You get caught in this endless spiral of ‘what if’s. It just makes you worry more, and the worry makes you feel worse until something  _ does _ happen. Spotting, nausea,  _ something _ that convinces you that something is wrong. My advice?” She smiled and turned the machine off, scooting it away. “Relax. Don’t try to compare yourself to other mothers, because no two are the same. No two mothers will ever experience the same things. Trust yourself more, and try to relax. Your kittens will be healthy as long as  _ you _ are healthy. Okay?”

He nodded and drew in a deep sigh, letting it out slowly. “Yes, I… I understand. I would still like to schedule another ultrasound before they’re born.” Vergil smiled shyly. “With four kittens expecting, I’d rather not have to create a pool of names to draw from.”

The midwife laughed gently. “That, we can do.” She stood and gathered up her charts. “When you’re ready to go, let the receptionist know that you want an appointment in another four weeks, so we can determine their gender. And here…” She picked up her business card from a little display and wrote a number on the back in dark red ink. “Here’s my cell phone number. If there’s another issue, feel free to text me and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can if I’m not with another patient. That way you can feel more comfortable getting in touch with me in case there  _ is _ a real emergency. Now then, is there anything else I can do for you?”

Dante and Vergil looked to one another, having a silent conversation between them with furrowed brows, gestures, and shrugs. Eventually both looked at her and shook their heads.

She smiled. “Then I’ll see you again in four weeks. And remember Vergil, try to relax and get some rest. Goodness knows you won’t get much of either once the kittens are born. Have a nice day, gentlemen.”


	5. Chapter 5

Content Warning: This chapter details the technical and biological process of childbirth, as well as scenes and references to stillbirth.  If you as a reader are uncomfortable with or triggered by pregnancy-related topics, please skip this chapter.

 

Dante grinned as he stepped back from his masterpiece, wiping sweat from his brow. After much debate between him and his mate, the pair had settled on four individual little cribs. Most of Dante’s free time went into building them and getting the nursery ready, and it was the one thing of all of the nursery that he built by hand. There was a crib for each baby, each a different color, and each with their name painted on in big, bright lettering. Briar’s crib was painted a soft mint green. Next to that was Julian’s crib, painted a gentle lavender. Then there was Nero’s crib painted a soft pale, icy blue that matched Vergil’s eyes. And on the end was Dante Jr’s crib, painted a light red.

“Why is Dante Jr’s crib pink?” Vergil asked as he joined his mate in the doorway, cradling his extended belly with both hands. As elegant as he could be, Vergil was dressed down to far more comfortable and casual wear. He wore only his favorite black and pink sakura print yukata, tied closed under the bump of his belly. The shape of the cloth hid the fullness of his breasts, made larger and more tender by the filled mammaries that developed during his pregnancy. 

“It’s not pink! It’s light red,” Dante argued, kissing Vergil’s forehead. He wrapped an arm around Vergil’s shoulders and looked over the fruits of his labor. 

Six weeks of sanding, priming, painting, and decorating, the nursery was done. A light breeze sent ripples down the bright blue curtains, and the shadows of the leaves of the tree outside made light and shadows dance on the pale blue walls of the nursery, making the whole room look as if it were underwater. In the corner was a rocking chair, waiting to be filled with a nursing mama and his babies. There was a changing table at standing-desk height, a chest of drawers filled with toys, another of clothes, and even a three-drawer storage bin filled with diapers, sanitary wipes, and gloves. A mini-fridge and microwave sat outside of the reach of exploring babies, and of course, there was plenty of space for them to crawl around and play. 

Vergil smiled and kissed his mate’s cheek. “You did well, darling. You have every right to be proud of yo-...” He stopped mid-sentence, doubling over as if he’d been punched. His hand grasped Dante’s bicep, his nails digging in as he clung to his twin. “I’m fine…” Vergil hissed, standing up straight once more. He breathed in puffs, offering a weak smile. “Just…”

“Bad contractions?” Dante supplied with a small smile of his own.

His mate nodded. “Yeah, they’re… They’re getting stronger and more frequent…”

“But not yet…”

“The midwife said that this is normal, and that I should wait before going to the hospital.”

“Until when? Until you’re in so much fucking pain, you can’t stand?”

“Dante, please… She’s done this before. She knows what she’s doing. I… I have to trust her on this. I need  _ you  _ to trust her.”

Reluctantly Dante sighed and nodded. 

“In the meantime, her advice is for me to keep moving. Walking around and breathing is supposed to help encourage the labor. I just need to relax and let everything happen on its own. Naturally.”

“Alright…” Dante sighed. He guided Vergil around the room once, and then again to the rocking chair. The younger twin kissed his mate’s cheek. “I’m going to go get the van packed. Everything’s ready, right?”

“Yes, love. Everything should be packed and waiting in the living room.”

“Clothes?”

“Yes, Dante. In the duffle bag beside the diaper bag. There’s a couple of outfits for yourself, for me, and for the babies.”

“Including shoes and slippers?”

“And socks. Yes, love.”

“Snacks? Drinks?”

Vergil nodded, getting up to pace around the nursery some more. He forced his unsteady breath to come out in slow, deliberate huffs. “Yes, Dante. There’s a small cooler with ice and drinks, and a backpack that has snacks in it for the both of us. And should we run out of either, there are vending machines in the waiting room down the hall from the maternity ward.”

“What if you get bored? Is there a TV in your room for you to watch?”

“Dante, please. I thought of that as well. There’s an iPad in the backpack, as well as a couple of books and puzzle books for both of us. And three plastic baggies of ear buds, because goodness knows how often you lose them. Did you get the car seats installed?”

“Yeah, but I’m not sure if I did it right…”

He stopped to give Dante a pointed glare.

Dante lifted his hands in defense. “I’m sure they’re on right!”

Vergil huffed and bent over, squatting low with his hands on his knees. 

“Verge, are you sure that’s okay?”

“It’s fine, Dante. Frankly it’s rather comf- _ ugh! _ ” Again he doubled over, shuddering as an explosion of fluid burst from between his thighs, spilling onto the nursery floor. Vergil chuckled weakly as he stood up straight, leaning on Dante for support. “I suppose it was a good idea we chose to go with resin hardwood in here after all, rather than carpet…” He looked up at his mate and noted Dante’s wide-eyed gaze. “Love?”

“Verge…”

He breathed a heavy sigh, feeling Dante’s vibrations of nervousness. “Dante…”

“Vergil…”

“Dante, I need you to listen to me very carefully…”

“Vergil…”

“Dante,  _ listen _ .”

His mate shakily nodded.

“Get the bags and pack the van.”

“We’re going?”

“Yes, my love. We’re going.”

“What about you? Are you going to be okay? Can you walk? Should I carry you?”

“Dante, what did I  _ just _ tell you?”

“Get the van and pack the bags,” Dante mumbled. 

Vergil glared at him pointedly.

He chuckled weakly. “Kidding. Kidding. Get the bags and pack the van. Got it.” Dante stole a quick kiss from Vergil’s lips before hurrying away. His heart pounded with every step as he skidded to a stop in the living room, his eyes almost missing the pile of luggage beside the couch in his panic. He patted himself down, making sure he had his wallet, phone, keys in his pockets before he started grabbing everything. Carrying all the bags in one trip was too awkward, so he reluctantly carried the bags two at a time. 

The van was the newest addition to their garage, purchased days after the ultrasound that confirmed how many kittens to expect. They had spent afternoons and hours browsing dealership websites before settling on it, and Dante didn’t hesitate to trade in his bike for extra cash up front to lower the monthly payments. Maybe when the kittens were older and he had enough saved up, he’d buy another one, but for now, the babies were more important than his leisure on the road. 

Dante popped the trunk with a press of the button and loaded up the bags. Diaper bag and duffle bag went in first. He passed Vergil in the kitchen on the second trip, grabbing the backpack and cooler and kissing his mate on the way by. With the bags packed, he slammed the trunk closed and opened the side door, giving the car seats one more inspection, shaking them and rattling them on the hooks to make sure they were secure. In his panic, he only half-remembered all of the prenatal classes he and Vergil had taken together. Satisfied that there was nothing more to do, he slid the side door closed and nearly ran into Vergil on his way back inside to fetch his pregnant mate. Dante stopped short of bumping into him, both of them flinching back in surprise. He laughed weakly and opened the passenger door for Vergil, helping him in and adjusting the seat to give Vergil all the room he needed.

“I’m not going to have the babies in the van,” Vergil grumbled, even as he leaned back and wedged his knees up on the dashboard. 

“You say that now,” Dante said as he turned on the van. His mate sighed in delight at the feel of the cool air of the vents blowing directly between his knees. The younger twin adjusted the atmospheric controls and closed the vents, giving Vergil all the cool air he wanted. He stole one last kiss on Vergil’s cheek before running back to the door, making sure it and the other doors were locked. He was out of breath by the time he got back to the driver’s seat of the van. “Alright. Is that everything?” 

Vergil nodded.

“Are you sure? We didn’t forget anything? Oven’s off, dryer’s off, you’re computer is -”

“Dante!”

“Right! We’re going! We’re going!” His hands shook as he reached for the ignition, stopping when he suddenly remembered the van was already going.

Vergil laughed beside him, trying to muffle the sound with a hand to his face.

“It’s not funny! I’m really stressed out right now!”

“Dante…” 

He looked at his mate.

Vergil grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him over the cup holders and elbow-rests to kiss Dante’s lips. When he pulled away, Vergil kissed his forehead. “Relax. It’s okay. Everything’s okay. I’m not in any… real pain. Just discomfort. Discomfort that’s getting more uncomfortable by the minute, but please… It’s okay. Take your time.”

Dante took a deep, slow breath and nodded as he exhaled through his nose. “Alright.” He smiled weakly and backed the van out of the garage easily, pressing a button on the little remote hanging from his visor to close the garage door automatically.

The drive was a blur. Dante knew he obeyed the traffic laws, followed the speed limit, stopped at every stoplight, but he couldn’t remember the drive itself. Maybe it was because he had more important things on his mind. Like breathing. Like Vergil breathing next to him. Like Vergil’s breathing being punctuated by sharp hisses through his teeth. Like Vergil’s whines and whimpers as he shuffled around to get comfortable in the seat. Like the sound of his name being anxiously moaned from his mate’s lips. 

There weren’t any ambulances in the emergency lane, thank fuck, but even if there had been, Dante would have still pulled in right at the front doors. He left the car running and his door open as he put the van in park and ran inside to grab a wheelchair, bringing it to Vergil just as his mate was getting the door open and his seatbelt unbuckled. Vergil wasn’t smiling or reassuring him anymore as he collapsed into the wheelchair, curling around his extended belly. Dante couldn’t run with the wheelchair, afraid to jostle and hurt his mate more, and was forced to anxiously walk to the front desk to get them registered. 

As the nurses came to get Vergil, Dante circled the wheelchair and knelt in front of him. 

“I’ll be right back,” Dante promised. “They’re going to get you to your room, and I’ll get the van parked and unloaded. I’ll be just a bit, okay?”

Vergil shakily nodded, closing his eyes as he leaned close to touch their foreheads together. The pregnant man’s was already hot and beaded with sweat. 

“Please hurry, Dante,” he whispered. “I need you… I need you by my side… Something… Something is… not right…”

Dante kissed the side of his head as he stood up straight once more. The nurses took Vergil away, leaving Dante to stand confused in the middle of the hall. All he could do was what he had promised he would. Dante at least had the forethought to unload their bags while he was at the front door; the nearest available legal parking spot was three floors up in the parking garage. With the help of a passing nurse on her coffee break, Dante got the four bags loaded into the elevator and carried to Vergil’s room in the maternity ward.

Vergil’s  _ empty _ room.

He left the bags in the empty room and darted for the nurse’s station. The nurse on duty checked her computer before leading Dante to the birthing room. 

The smell slammed into Dante, causing him to stop short in the doorway. Feces, urine, sweat…  _ and blood _ . The stink of it all made Dante’s heart pound in his chest with worry and fear as he finally took those steps closer to be in the room with his mate, only to be stopped by a nurse half his size.

“You can’t be in here, sir!”

“He’s my mate!”

“Sir, you’re going to have to wait in the waiting room!”

“I’m the father!”

“Dante?” Vergil whined his name over the clamor of the midwife and nurses talking and working. “Dante, are you there?”

“I’m here, Verge!” Dante tried to shove past the nurse, but for a short woman, she was surprisingly strong and kept him from getting even a foot in the room. “Vergil, they’re not letting me get to you!”

“Sir, this area needs to remain sterile!”

“Get him out of here!” The midwife shouted over her shoulder.

“Dante?”

“Vergil! I love you! I’ll be waiting right outside, okay?”

He didn’t even see his mate as he was shoved out of the birthing room and escorted to the waiting room. 

He didn’t see how pale Vergil had become or how much blood he’d lost.

Dante hugged himself as he sank into a chair in the silent waiting room, closing his eyes tight as he tried to listen, tried to hear. 

_Father,_ Dante prayed. _Mother… If either of you are listening, please… Please protect Vergil… He’s all I care about… He’s all I have left._ _Please… Watch over and protect him…_

He swallowed back his fear and a mouthful of bile as he heard someone calling for a crash cart. He tried not to cry, tried not to be angry, tried to keep everything bottled inside as he heard the distant shout.

_ “CLEAR!” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everybody! I just wanted to give you all a big shout out and an even bigger thank you for reading, kudo-ing, and commenting! This WILL be the last update for this fic this year, as I have other projects that need to be worked on to be completed before Christmas. Updates for this fic will resume next year. Again, thank you so much for reading, and I hope you enjoy!


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